On the sims 2 how can you have a birthday without patches?

I don't have patches and I can't get them because the games computer is different than the internet computer. I was throwing a birthday for the triplets they turned into kids and I got the birthday cake but all it said was Clean Up and my friend told me that i need patches for it to work. So is there anything like cake, cookies, anything for a good birthday? Also would it work to invite 2 people to a birthday then invite all neighbors and they would join it for a hee-uge birthday?